Head coach Nick Mingione and the Kentucky Wildcats have amassed three big wins in a row.
Following a series win against the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, Kentucky dominated their midweek game with a 17-5 victory over their rival, the Louisville Cardinals.
The Wildcats’ series win against Tennessee started on the wrong foot with an 8-2 loss on Friday. However, Kentucky quickly rebounded with two great pitching performances to help get them two crucial wins to finish the series.
On Saturday, Kentucky won 4-1, and starting pitcher Nic McCay was the major factor in the win. He went seven innings and struck out 12 Tennessee batters. Jackson Nove came in for relief and was able to shut down the game in the final 1 1/3 innings.
In that matchup, both McCay and Nove forced the Volunteers to strike out 15 times, gave up no earned runs, and allowed just three hits.
On Sunday, the Wildcats clinched the series win in the Southeastern Conference border battle with an 8-2 win. Tennessee’s only scoring came in the sixth inning, where they got both runs.
Besides that, Kentucky’s starting pitcher Ben Cleaver put on a clinic. He, much like McCay, went seven innings and struck out seven Tennessee hitters and walked just one.
Simon Gregersen came in to close out the game and pitched a masterful two innings. He struck out two hitters during his appearance.
The momentum from the Easter weekend in Knoxville carried into the midweek matchup on Tuesday night. The Wildcats were looking for revenge against their in-state archrival, Louisville. The Cardinals defeated Kentucky 4-3 in extra innings at Patterson Stadium back on April 8.
Tuesday’s matchup in Lexington was a different story. The Wildcats defeated Louisville in a run-rule that ended the game in seven innings. The final score was 17-5.
Kentucky had 11 hits as a team in the game. Third baseman Patrick Herrera led the way with three hits. One of those hits was a home run, his second of the season. He also finished with five RBI that led the game.
Seven of the Wildcat players also had multiple runs in the game showing the ability to get on base early and often from Mingione’s team.
Up Next – This is a Kentucky team that is starting to trend in the right direction with three wins over big-time opponents. They will have a chance to continue boosting their resume this weekend.
The Wildcats will stay in Lexington at Kentucky Proud Park to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks in a weekend series from April 25-27. Kentucky is 8-10 in SEC play heading into this matchup.
The first pitch for the matchup on Friday, April 25, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EDT.
Photo: Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione talks in the dugout before an NCAA baseball game against LSU on Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
